West Bengal: AIDWA Holds ‘Chakka Jam’ Across State Against Price Rise, Corruption

Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) on Wednesday, staged ‘Chakka Jam’ (road blockade) throughout the state against the inordinate price rise of petro products, cooking gas and corruption in the state. The protesters also demanded an end to the rising incidents of crimes against women in the state.  

In Kolkata, the ‘Chakka Jam’ was observed at two places -- Jadvapur 8B crossing and at the Entally market in central Kolkata. Apart from this, over 500 AIDWA women activists held a ‘Chakka Jam’ at Dak Bungalow crossing and National Highway 34 and 35 in Barasat of North 24 Parganas district, as also in Debra Bazaar of Medinipur West district, Mohanpur block and Keranitola block at the Odisha border along with several other places  in Howrah.

The protesters also burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jadavpur Crossing. Kolkata.

Addressing the gathering, AIDWA state secretary Kaninika Ghosh blamed both the Union and the state governments for the excessive price rise that was hurting women the most. She blamed the Modi government for continuously increasing the price of cooking gas cylinders in the country, and accused the Trinamool Congress-led state government for not playing its part in reducing excise on petro products.

Ghosh also criticised the present TMC government and Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government for curbing freedom of speech. 

The issues of alleged corruption in the Teacher Eligibility Test or TET and Staff Selection Commission exams and teacher recruitment process were also strongly criticised by AIDWA.